Qingxi River, where I am haunted by dreams (2) My donkey

For Zhuang farmers, the livestock at home is the foundation of the family, and farming, pulling carts and carrying things are inseparable. In addition, tens of acres of land, chemical fertilizer alone is not enough, some farm manure is needed, but livestock can not be less.

I remember one day when the primary school came home from school, many people gathered in the farm of the Agricultural Society. All the animals that had been kept in the big factory were marked with red, including cows, sheep, horses and mules, and they were kept in different factories. I came to the farm with trepidation in my heart. I didn't see the powerful breeder's eldest brother in the crowd, so I was relieved to ask what had happened. It turned out that the production quota was fixed at each household, and the animals had to be assigned to each household. My hanging heart suddenly fell to the ground, and I no longer have to be afraid of stealing sorghum stalks from the straw house with my companions at noon and being chased by the breeder's eldest brother. I am eager to find my father and see what animals I have given to my family. Father said, "We have to draw lots to see if we can catch a grass donkey." I thought to myself, "it doesn't matter to me what I catch. As long as I have animals, I can eat sorghum stalks. If I have animals at home, no one will chase me." At that time, there was a shortage of materials. Every noon, students always secretly touched the straw house where animals were raised and ate the water with sorghum stalks, which was harmful to the forage of animals, so the breeder watched it very closely. By the time it got dark, my father brought a black donkey with long and thin hair, and drooped his ears, saying that he was very old.

It was a happy thing to have a donkey, but the arrival of this donkey added countless gloom to the family. This donkey was originally given to my uncle. My father caught a mule. My father thought he was the boss, and my grandmother was at my uncle's house, so he changed the mule into a donkey. Originally, it was agreed that all the plows should be carried together, but the donkey was too old to eat grass and walk, and it was not good enough for the mule. It didn't take long for my uncle to work together, so the two brothers also had a fight. Seeing that it's time to sow, my father hasn't found anyone to cooperate with, so my father pulls with the old donkey and my mother holds the plow. Plowing the land was originally a hard work, how can it be done with tens of acres of land? So my father often got angry inexplicably, and the owner went in, the west went out, borrowed other people's livestock, and finally planted the land. Seeing that winter is coming, my father runs to the market whenever he has time, and he looks depressed every time he comes back. From morning till night, I didn't even eat a mouthful of dry food to save money. An old donkey can't sell for much, but it costs a lot of money to buy a four-toothed donkey. In order to make up for the lack of money, so my mother found soft grass to feed, took a sickle in winter, went to the ridge to mow the grass, and fed some grass from time to time. After running many times, my father finally brought a gray donkey.

The price of grey donkey is moderate, even a little cheap according to my father's words. Father often said: "The place is big, but it is different. Bangluo is a place that has passed the Red Army, and it is generous. The man was afraid that I would use his donkey and sold it to me." This donkey is docile, with long ears, constantly swaying, big eyes, a circle around it is black, its legs are higher than the old donkey's, and it is thick and has four teeth. I often take it to the river to drink water. When I go uphill, I climb on the donkey's back and whip it on the ass to feel the "chivalrous man". Once in a hurry, I tripped and saw the donkey stepping on me, and the donkey jumped over me with its front hoof. Since then, I like the gray donkey better. When summer comes, the donkey eats grass. I always take it to eat grass after school. During the summer vacation, releasing the donkey is my main job.

Every time the sun sets at noon, friends take their donkeys and go to places with lush vegetation to release them. Take a kettle, dry food and a straw hat, take a sickle and carry a small basket on your back ... All the way is vast, and the dust raised is our strong position. From time to time, we ride on the donkey's back, and we feel like we are looking at each other. Sometimes, the naughty donkey's hind foot is pedaled, and a cry of "high spirits" knocks us down, and we run wildly, unable to catch up with it, and even get caught in the "small wooden bowl" raised by the donkey's running. The roadside dealers are green, with sorghum fields, corn fields and flax fields, high and low, and distinct layers; Lentil fields, potato fields and vegetable fields are connected piece by piece, full of green. The wheat field is golden, the breeze blows, and waves of wheat are transmitted to the distance, making a brushing sound. The plowman asked the sickle, and the sound of the sickle was one after another. The hearty laughter had already predicted the joy of harvest. In order to prevent the donkey from eating the dealer, we usually don't stay at the edge of the crop field, but go directly to the barren beach or hillside, where the exit is blocked, and start our own game. Throw a few nests of potatoes, build some clods, hold some firewood, light a fire, and when the firewood is gone, break the clods and bury the potatoes. Sometimes we take basic comic books and watch them together for an afternoon ..., estimate the time, see where the donkey ran, carry the basket on his back, cut the grass all over the basket, and wait for the delicious baked potato.

the sun is setting, and the donkey is full. Aside from the potato, I ate all the food in one day. We carry baskets on our backs, catch up with the donkey with a bulging stomach, and go home with the donkey in the setting sun. At this time, the donkey was very obedient, because he had enough to eat and drink and would not run around. Every time at this time, we have to take the opportunity to yell at our voices. "(Singing 26) Before he spoke, he did not fall, but called" xianggong "little brother. (White) Don't call me little brother, you can call me elder sister. (Singing) There are few people in the empty mountain, butch and jackal sing, except for you, it's me, and my parents have no whereabouts ... "

Autumn came in a blink of an eye, and the donkey didn't circle the door after several days of autumn rain. On this day, the rain stopped, and my father wanted to pull the donkey out for a walk, but how could the donkey not get up? This frightened the family. I rushed to the doctor for consultation, saying that I had "hemp tendon disease", and I would make it when the weather was wet, so I had to wash it with ephedra. My father dug some ephedra overnight and washed it three times a day, but it never got better. By autumn sowing, he was already skinny. When the winter is a little better, my father always runs to the market with a sad face. Later, a donkey dealer came and took my donkey away, and the family was depressed for a long time.

Without the donkey at home, I feel empty. What should my father do if he is worried about spring? Near the end of the year, it was the peak season for livestock trading. My father scraped together some money and still went to Bangluo to go to the market. I don't know if it was good luck, or because there was something wrong with the donkey recommended by Yazi last time, my father easily led a little gray donkey that called the pole. He barks at everyone and rushes at donkeys. No one dares to lead a donkey anymore, and sometimes fathers are difficult to control. Later, my father made a special halter in the market and wore a fork (put it in his mouth to contain it), which made him a little more honest. This donkey is strong, can carry, pull and grind, and it walks very fast. Every summer, when the wheat was cut and could not be transported to the field, my father called the donkey and put on a saddle to carry the wheat. When my father tied it up and put it on the little donkey, my nervous heart came to my throat. Father did his best to put it on, and if it moved a little, it wouldn't be put on. Every time at this time, my father will yell and yell, and the little donkey will stand firm, and my father will put it firmly on the little donkey. Walking on the road, the little donkey is full of pride and keeps barking. Later, when I came home from school, I didn't even need to ask where my family was. I knew it as soon as I heard the screams. Little donkey has been in my house for more than ten years until I graduated from college. Now I think about it, I still remember it vividly.

Xiao Jiaolv is the hero of our family. In those years, besides farm work at home, he also accompanied his father to carry things to the market. When I was in high school, everything I used was carried by it. He has carried several brides in the village.

Donkeys are not kept at home now, but I still like them infinitely.